Stacey Jay gives us a stronger, more determined Annabelle Lee in her stellar followup to Dead on the Delta. She’s still deeply flawed, but she’s trying to make changes.

She wants to drink less and care more — only working with her ex Hitch on an off-the-books FBI case, avoiding relationship talk with her on-hold boyfriend Cane and having more questions than answers about her new abilities and ties with the mafia-like invisible people makes that very difficult.

Annabelle is fighting to accept that she can do some very badass magic, but she can’t share it with anyone. She leaks the secret, the Big Man will kill her. So, when new abilities emerge she has to wonder if she’s crazy. And if she’s not, everyone would still think she is.

Relationship complications are piled on top of each other in Blood on the Bayou, but it’s not chaotic. It’s just real. Painful. Sexy. Brutal. Complicated. Real relationship drama.

The core of Blood on the Bayou is about trust. What we can expect from our lovers, from our family (surrogate or otherwise) and from our friends. What we’re willing to give to gain trust. Annabelle loses faith in others while they gain implicit trust in her. And then she has to reconcile it. Jay’s precise execution of Annabelle’s trust issues makes Blood on the Bayou a brilliant read. Plus, there are sexy Southern men without their shirts on and high-speed chases, possible drug-running and faerie craziness.

So, I really love this series. Unfortunately, Stacey Jay has indicated that it doesn’t look good for subsequent books! It needs some major support to convince the publisher to continue it. I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t happy with the Hitch resolution and I need more!

I like Tucker. It just seemed they moved awfully fast. Hitch broke my heart this book. His entire world kind of collapsed. The circumstances surrounding Hitch and Annabelle’s relationship (both past and present) is so sad, that I get choked up whenever they are together on page. I’m such a sap ;-).